At present, training of medical professionals in ultrasound-guided procedures often occurs in a clinical environment. This approach has several disadvantages. It places the learner in the uncomfortable position of performing their initial procedures in an unfamiliar clinical setting where technical problems can have serious consequences for the patient. In addition, clinical training opportunities in some disciplines are limited.
The current training paradigm has been upheld in the past because there were no other viable alternatives. Alternatively simulators available for many of the ultrasound-guided needle procedures commonly used today are often highly specific to particular anatomical structures and therefore limited in use. Moreover, ongoing medical advances will likely lead to development of additional ultrasound-guided procedures not yet implemented in practice, such that a generalized training in the use of ultrasound-guided imaging to improve hand-eye coordination is beneficial for the development and training of existing and new applications. Depth perception, for example, is universally difficult to master while observing a 2-dimensional image, and practice on a system that broadly replicates the challenges of using ultrasound guidance to perform procedures may improve the skill and confidence of the user. Thus, there is a need for generalized assessment and training for skill in using ultrasound guidance for medical procedures. The present invention addresses this need.
Thus, there is a need for a generalized ultrasound-guided skill assessment and training apparatus and system, as well as methods for assessing skill in using ultrasound-guided imaging for procedures, as are described herein. Further provided are computer readable media for assessing skill in ultrasound-guided procedures involving a needle or other user-held devices or instruments.